Birchbox Home Sweet Homespun Limited Edition Box

Happy Thanksgiving week! I'm enjoying this much needed time off. Today I've been lounging around the house with my girls-it's very much "Home Sweet Home" here today! And what better way to kick off the holidays than with a review of the Birchbox Home Sweet Homespun box?

I ordered two of these boxes; one for me and one for my sister's birthday. I ordered them separately, used a 20% coupon on each order, and added a mystery sample pack to each shipment. That meant each box was $32. This box got to me super quick. I ordered it on a Monday and it was here on Wednesday. Doesn't the box look gorgeous!?

Here's what it looks like when you open it up:

And here's what you get inside and what I thought about each item: 

*Askinosie Chocolate Single Origin Sipping Chocolate-There is enough for two small servings. I added whole milk to the chocolate. It is a little bitter; might need some sugar. Very rich and definitely better than the powdered stuff at the grocery store! 

*Meri Meri The Little Garden Treat Kit-These are cute handcrafted labels and gift bags. Sadly, I'm not much of a treat or craft maker, so I passed these on to my mother in law. She loved them! 

*Illume Mini Tin Soy Candle-I can never have enough candles. The label on it is so pretty with the red and gold accents. I've got it burning right now-the sugar and spice fragrance is so nice and makes my bedroom smell great. 

*Momofuku Milk Bar Cornflake-Chocolate chip-Marshmallow Cookie Mix-This is the only item  in my box I haven't been able to try out yet because it needs a special type of mixer that I don't have. My husband has been begging me to make them because they sound so delicious! The directions do sound a little complicated to make which is why I haven't done them yet. I'll have an update on them soon! 

*Soak Handmaid Luxury Hand Creme-This lotion has a light fig smell to it. I can wear it alone or with my perfume and it's not overpowering. It has a shea-butter formula which makes my hands so soft. Great addition to the box.

*Cowshed Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm-I love the smell of this lip balm. It has orange and rose essential oils and leaves my lips feeling soft. It has a sheer color so I save this balm for the evenings and weekends (I prefer my lip products to be tinted).

*Makerskit Hanging Photo Clips Complete Project Kit-This was the only item that seems a little "cheap" to me. It's some twine, a few pushpins and a few clothespins. I had a student hang it up in my classroom and even she asked me where I got it from due to the quality. I wouldn't put this up in my house. The clothespins are a little too small so  you have to attach at least 2 per photo. I didn't like the card stock it came with-it's way too tiny and I didn't like the design.

*Richer Poorer socks-Normally I'm not a sock person but these socks are way too cute to not enjoy. I've been wearing them around the house and love the way they feel-not too thick that your feet sweat, but not too thin that your feet get cold. I sound like Goldilocks haha. I love the design on them! 

So that's the Home Sweet Homespun box! For $32 (with a coupon) you get 8 different cozy and cheerful items. I would definitely recommend stocking up on a few of these for Christmas gifts! If you received this box, what did you think about it?

Now the question is...do I splurge for a Vanity Affair box??? Or wait until after the holidays?

4 Birchbox Mystery Sample Packs

In the past 2 weeks I've received 4 Birchbox mystery sample packs. Any time you spend $35+ in the Birchbox shop they will send you two random samples that are supposed to total $10 in value for free. I thought it would be fun to share what I've recently received, and to see if you actually do get $10 worth of product each time. I'm a theatre teacher and not a math major; hopefully I got all my math correct! 

Mystery Pack #1

My first order was for a Birchbox Scent Sampler and Amika Nourishing Mask. The total was $36; I used a 20% coupon, $20 worth of reward points, and had it shipped free since I’m an Ace. Here’s what I received: 

*Dear Clark “Resurrecting Rince” conditioner-I’m from the Dallas, TX area and was thrilled to see that this company is from Dallas. All the products in it are organic and handmade in Texas. It contains aloe vera, sunflower seed oil, and rose of Jericho. My initial reaction was that it smelled FANTASTIC! Every time I used it my husband made note of how great it smells. It’s hard for me to pinpoint the strongest scent in it; maybe a combination of the aloe and the rose? 

When I used the product it was so incredibly difficult to get out of the sample bottle. It’s a twist top even though it’s a thick product. Not very user friendly! They recommend using a quarter size in your hair-this seemed to be a good size for me. My hair tends to be a little frizzy; not so with this product! I loved discovering this product and hope to get it again. 

The sample size was 1oz. The full size is 8.5 oz for $24 which means my sample was worth $2.82. 

*Harvey Prince Ageless Liquid Loofah -I have previously sampled the Harvey Prince Ageless body lotion. I'm just not a fan of grapefruit, which is one of the fragrances in it, so I wasn't too excited to try this product out. It claims to be exfoliating without using scrubbing beads so I was curious to see if that was really the case. I only got about one and a half uses out of the sample size and I did notice that my skin seemed to be a little softer than normal. The smell wasn't as powerful as the body lotion had been; I just wish I had gotten a little bit larger of a sample. 

The sample size was 15ml. The full size is 12 oz for $22 which means my sample was worth $3.68.

Altogether my mystery sample pack #1 was $6.50. 

Mystery Pack #2

I ordered the Home Sweet Homespun limited edition box on a 20% coupon and added the pack. I received:

*Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm- Is it shameful for me to admit that I haven't tried a BB cream before now? I have fair skin and was nervous to try the sample because it wasn't an exact color match. I shouldn't have been concerned; it blended in nicely with my skin and gave me a bit of a healthy glow. Interestingly enough it has "exotic caviar" in it to help tame complexions. I thought it had good coverage but I just didn't like the smell! 

The sample size was .2 oz. The full size is 1.5 oz for $36 which means my sample was worth $4.80

*Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris perfume -This perfume has a subtle scent to it. It has a nice combination of musk and fruity undertones. It doesn't have much staying power to it; I usually have to reapply after a few hours. It's a good smell for fall and winter. 

The sample size was 2ml. The full size is 30 ml for $65 which means my sample was worth $4.33.

Altogether my mystery sample pack #2 was $9.13. 

Mystery Pack #3

My sister's birthday is coming up so I ordered another Home Sweet Homespun limited edition box on a 20% coupon and added the pack. I received:

*Cynthia Rowley Metallic Eyeliner in silver -I received this item in my September Fashionista box so I will be giving this item to my sister along with the Homespun box. I love the silver color! I use it on my water line to add a little bit of shimmer. Now, it says it's smudge proof and lasts all day. However, on my bottom line, I have to reapply frequently. Good for a night out.

The sample size is .03 oz and the full size is .04oz for $16 which means my sample was worth $12.

*Melvita Eau floral de Rose-Eeeeeek! An expired product!!! And a year old expired product at that. I was puzzled to see that I had received a "rose floral water." Not exactly a beauty product, is it? As I was reading the bottle I saw that it was expired. Gross!

Thankfully Birchbox sent out another mystery pack to replace the mistake of sending out an expired product. They don't list this company anywhere on their website so there's no way of knowing how much they sell/sold the product for. 

This pack was worth $12. 

Mystery Pack #4

*Obliphica Leave In Moisturizing Cream-I have received several Obliphica hair products in other mystery packs. This was the first time to receive a leave in cream. I LOVE leave in hair creams; I use them every single day for my wavy hair. This has a light fruit smell to it from the sea-buckthorn. I wasn't impressed with it but I didn't dislike it either; it didn't wow me. It didn't tame my sometimes frizzy hair but it did leave it feeling soft. I'll stick with my other leave in creams. 

I wasn't able to calculate the exact price on this item because Birchbox doesn't sell the leave in cream. 

*Atelier Cologne Vanille -I've sampled Atelier before in the Mermaid box but this was my first time to receive the vanille product. I like the smell of it! It has a nice warm vanilla scent to it but it's not overbearing. It's perfect for the fall and winter. Like my other Atelier cologne products, I had to apply it throughout the day-it doesn't last the whole work day. 

The sample size was 2ml. The full size is 30 ml for $75 which means my sample was worth $5.

I'm not sure how much this pack totals for. I bet the cream sample wasn't worth $5 or more so I probably totaled less than $10 on this pack. 

So two of my packs were $10; two of them weren't. I've read many mixed reviews about the Birchbox mystery packs. Some people say don't complain about it if you don't get $10 worth, you are still getting a free product. Others say if you are going to advertise for it to be $10 worth of products then you better send $10 worth of products out! I think I agree with the second train of thought. If you aren't going to get $10 worth of product maybe credit some back to the shop so you can spend more money that way. Or maybe offer a nice $10 off coupon for the next time you shop if you spend $35 and don't do the mystery pack. 

Let me know your thoughts about the mystery sample packs! Have you discovered any beauty favorites after receiving an item in the sample pack? And stay tuned for my review of the Homespun box! 

October Birchbox

I've been anticipating my October Birchbox ever since I decided to do the add ons (more information about the add ons below). My past few boxes have been taking longer than normal to get to me (last month it was even lost for about a week). Not sure what's up with that, but it did arrive this week! 

I love the fact that I got to review 7 different products, which means $7 to spend in the Birchbox store. That’s a great deal!

Here's what I received in my box and what I thought about each product: 

*Ellovi Vanilla Butter-Not a big fan of this. It is supposed to smell like vanilla but it smells more like the oils in it to me. And speaking of oil, it is greasy on my skin. I might use it for problem areas like my heels during the winter,  but I definitely won't use it on my hands or arms. I just didn't like the texture of this and wouldn't buy the full size product. 

*Lord & Berry Paillettes Eye Pencil-This was the item I got to choose for this month's box. I LOVE glitter eye liner and couldn't wait to try this out. I was so disappointed with this eye pencil! There was absolutely no glitter included any of the times I used it. I tried it with different colors and brands of eye shadow, but still nothing. It needs to be a creamier formula for this to be more effective. It was dry and hard to put on and I tried sharpening it a few times thinking that might help. Also, the black color faded super fast. I'm talking within the hour of me applying it! I ended up putting a liquid liner over it. This item is getting tossed! 

*Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle-I love leave in conditioners. I like the fact that this is a spray in formula-easier application than the ones I usually use. However, I think there was a problem with the bottle. Myself and several reviewers all had trouble getting the product out. It did leave my hair nice and soft but didn't hold the waves in my hair as much as other products I've used. I'll have to give this one a few more tries before I make my final verdict. 

*Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips-I was super curious to try this product out. Nipple cream on your lips? It kinda makes sense if you think about it. I love how soft it makes my lips and I love that it enhances my natural lip color. The texture is weird at first (a little sticky and greasy) but after I got used to it I love it because it makes my lips so moisturized. This was a hit for me!   

*Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator-I didn't read the label too closely before applying this exfoliator so I was a bit surprised by the microderm crystals, but ended up really liking this product. It made my face feel soft and clean without drying my face out, which is always a concern of mine with products like this. I have sensitive skin and my face didn't break out after using this. Great addition to this box! 

*Oribe Magnificent Shampoo and Conditioner-These were "freebies" that Birchbox threw in as an extra bonus. If this had been one of my normal samples I wouldn't have been pleased because of how small they are. I really like the Oribe hair spray and use it occasionally. This is advertised as a volumizing shampoo and conditioner but I honestly couldn't tell. The shampoo didn't leave my hair feeling clean and I needed more conditioner in the sample size than what it offered. I did like the smell of these products. 

Each month Birchbox gives you the opportunity to add items to your box for an additional cost. The items are usually cheaper from Birchbox than buying  from a retailer, plus you get Birchbox points to use in the store. This month they were giving double points if you purchased two or more items so I decided to splurge and purchase both of the items for sale. I purchased: 

*Bella J Roseberry Candle-This candle has a light berry scent to it. It’s perfect for my nightstand in the bedroom but wouldn’t have much scent power in a large room. What’s cool about this candle is that at the bottom of it is a charm or jewelry piece valued at $25 to $10,000! I’ve burned mine for about 5 hours now (it says you can get 60+hours) and I can already see the pouch. I am soooo tempted to get it out and see what it is but Justin told me that would ruin the surprise, which is the main reason I purchased it! So he told me I have to wait until Halloween.  

*Loren Hope Lilac Mini Alex Cuff-As soon as I saw the purple color for this bracelet I knew I had to have it! I wear purple ALL THE TIME so this will go great with many different outfits. My only problem is that it's a little on the small side. I wish they had a picture of somebody wearing it so I could have had a better idea of the size of it before I purchased it. Here’s a picture of me wearing it-by the way, I could never be a hand model! I can’t ever seem to take a good picture of my hands. 

Finally, Birchbox was recently doing a promotion where if you are on the month to month plan for getting boxes and upgraded to a year's subscription, not only did they give you two boxes for free, but they sent out a mystery sample pack AND this Cynthia Rowley bag that included this eyeshadow color palette and a liquid liner. I'm looking forward to trying all these shades out! There are actually 5 shadows but the far left one is super dark. 

Overall I enjoyed my box and the nice add ons. A couple of the items I could have done without but I also discovered some new favorites! What did you think about October’s box? If you are thinking about joining Birchbox, be sure to use my referral link! 

Birchbox Anniversary Box

About a week ago I splurged and bought a few different products on Birchbox. I had 2 coupon codes-one was get an Anniversary Box if I spent $50 or more or get 20% off any purchase. I had recently purchased the Fall Fete box for my best friend's birthday on a 20% coupon so I decided to try my luck and see what I would get in the Anniversary Box. 

Here is what I received-a Whish shave cream, a Laqa & Co. lip lube in Menatour, an eyebrow pencil, and a Suki exfoliating cleanser. 

I have to admit, my initial reaction was disappointment. HOWEVER, I have since changed my mind! 

Here's what I thought of each product: 

*The eyebrow pencil I gave away to my sister. I have platinum blonde hair and this pencil is for dark haired ladies. I'm bummed I didn't get a color that matched my profile. 

*I was originally unhappy with the lip color. I have NEVER worn a color like this before and I initially said it made me look like I have hypothermia. I decided to give it one more chance and take it to ACL with me. I have to say, I was really wrong about this color! I was insecure about wearing a color like this because it took me out of my comfort zone, but I have gotten several compliments on this color. So, thank you Birchbox! 

*The Whish shave cream is ok. I really don't like the smell in my opinion. It does leave my legs feeling soft, but so does the body wash I normally use on my legs. It's a nice little treat but not something I would purchase the full size product. 

*The Suki exfoliating cleanser-haha so I'm an idiot and didn't read the directions before I first used it (they don't have the directions on the label which is not a good thing-it makes somebody use it wrong or have to go find the directions themselves). I just put some of the cleanser on my fingers and started going to town on my face. Now, it is very grainy because it is sugar and lemongrass so it was a little abrasive, but had I read the directions first I would have known to rub it between my fingers and THEN apply it to my face. That being said, it did make my face look brighter and have a nice clean feel to it! I wish the full size price was a bit cheaper-I'd be more inclined to purchase this in the future. It is a nice addition to the box. 

If you ordered the Anniversary Box, did you receive the same samples or different ones? Were you happy with them?

September Birchbox

Special delivery! Look what I found in my mailbox on Thursday-my September Birchbox AND our ACL tickets! I felt like it was Christmas or my birthday :). My Birchbox took super long to get to me-turns out USPS lost it for a little bit. I was so jealous seeing other people's blogs and just waiting to get mine. I contacted Birchbox about the missing package and one of their awesome customer service people sent me out a new box in the meantime. I told them they didn't have to do that once we found out where the package was but they insisted and said I could always give it to somebody who doesn't get Birchbox to try out. How awesome is that! They were celebrating "Customer Appreciation Day" yesterday and I did feel appreciated as a customer when they did that. Thanks, Birchbox! 

The products I received were: 

1. Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Supreme Mascara

Meh, another mascara. I had received a mascara in this month's Ipsy bag and had ended up giving that one away. I just love my DiorShow too much. I'm not a fan of the applicator that comes with this sample. The mascara had a nice color to it but didn't lengthen or make my lashes fuller. 

2. Cynthia Rowley eyeliner-silver

This was the product I was most excited about and the reason I chose the Fashionista box. I love the color! I wasn't quite sure how it was going to show up on my fair skin. I've used it on my bottom lid and love the extra sparkle it brings to my eyes. Now, it says its smudge proof and lasts all day. I've never had any issues with smudging when I use my black one on my top line. However, on my bottom line, when I used the silver color it does smudge a little which makes the silver color go everywhere. I also had to reapply it (and honestly my eyes don't really water that much). It just takes me a little bit of extra time to do my eye makeup but I love the end result! 

3. Naobay Body Radiance Lotion

This was the product I was least excited about. I had gotten this in my July box! Just too soon to be given this product again. I'm not a fan of the earthy smell. It does make my hands and arms soft but I like a more floral scent. I gave this to my best friend-I think she will enjoy it more. 

4. Macadamia Professional Flawless Cleansing Conditioner

I was super curious to try this product out. It is a no suds shampoo and conditioner all in one. It smells nice and my hair felt soft after I towel dried it. However, it did not leave it as soft as my normal conditioner does and I noticed my hair felt coarser than normal at the end of the day. I also noticed more frizz in my hair, though it claims to cut down on the frizz. It did leave my ends looking better than my normal shampoo does. It's a great size and I would definitely bring this with me while traveling or whenever I want to cut back on the amount of shampooing I do. Some other reviewers had the same complaint and so I used a leave in conditioner along with this product and my hair feels so healthy! 

5. dr. brandt pores no more vacuum cleaner 

Both my husband and I tried this one out. I don't really have blackheads; he does. It didn't work for either one of us! It is supposed to have a cooling sensation and neither of us felt it. Bummer. I'll add it to my weekly routine though. 

Overall, this box was good. I did enjoy the Ipsy bag more than the Birchbox this month. However, in the grand scheme of things, I am more loyal to Birchbox. In fact they are running a promo right now-if you sign up to receive 12 boxes they will only charge you for 10 AND they will credit your account 100 points (which is $10 store credit) AND they will send you a Cynthia Rowley gift AND you can add on a mystery sample pack (usually valued at $10). I went for it and subscribed for a year and I know I'm not going to regret it. Use promo code UPGRADEME and tell them I sent you ;) https://www.birchbox.com/invite/crystalking

Now I just bet you are dying to know who I am most excited about seeing at ACL. My top 5 can't miss acts are: 

1. Outkast

2. Foster the People

3. Phantogram 

4. Lana Del Rey 

5. Fitz and the Tantrums (I've seen them before here in Dallas but I was several months pregnant with the twins and didn't enjoy the show as much as I would have liked.) 

September Fall Finds

I've been having some fun this week buying fall fashion accessories and coming up with new ideas for my nails. Here is the result of my recent trip to Charming Charlie's and Target:

I just LOVE this infinity scarf from Target! It's a tan color but with pops of hot pink in the stitching. I'm also loving the purple/pink/grey necklace from Charming Charlie's. It can go with so many different colored tops! And the best part about my shopping trip? The price!

Here's a couple of different nail ideas I saw on Birchbox last week. I'm going to use the nail polish I received in this month's Ipsy bag.

Walmart Beauty Box

I received my fall Walmart Beauty Box in the mail today. I still can't believe Walmart of all places has a subscription beauty box!

In the box: 

*Loreal YouthCode Pore Vanisher (sample)

*Nicki Minaj "Pink Friday" perfume (sample)

*Dove Advanced Hair Series Oxygen Moisture shampoo & conditioner (samples)

*CoverGirl "Glowing Nights" glosstinis nail polish in "Laser Light" (sample)

*Dove Dry Oil for hair (sample)

*Loreal Glossy Balm in "Pink Me Up" (full size)

*Secret Clinical Strength deodorant (full size)

*A coupon for $2 off Neutrogena Long Wear makeup 

The price for the box is $5 and the deodorant and glossy balm definitely make it worth it to me. They claim to send you products based on the time of year (it is a quarterly box) but nothing in the box seemed to be fall related or fall colors. It came in the mail as a complete surprise-they didn't send an email or any correspondence about it after I signed up for it. Thats ok; like I said, for $5 every 3 months it's worth it.  

Simply September

I woke up yesterday morning and turned to Justin and said, "It's time to start decorating for Halloween!!!" I've been so excited to try out some decorating ideas I saw on Pinterest (I will share those on my next blog post).

Then, I started feeling a little anxious. Once Halloween hits, then we have Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the obligations that come with the months of November and December. Poor September. It's a month that we take for granted. It's after August with all the end of summer, back to school festivities, and before all the holiday months. I thought to myself, what is there to get excited about for September? It's not quite fall but not summer anymore. I decided that I need to jazz up my September but don't want to commit to any major projects or spend a bunch of money. Here are some simple ideas I came up with to make my September a little more special. 

*Start each morning with a fun "goal" or positive thought. 

I like to believe in the power of positive thinking, and I tell my students about making your dreams a reality all the time. Each morning think about one thing that you are grateful for or one fun thing you would like to incorporate into your day. Why should November have all the fun when it comes to being grateful? I'm going to make it a commitment every morning to think about what I'm grateful for. Today it's Grandparents Day and I thought to myself, how incredibly grateful I am to my wonderful grandparents. They are like parents to me. I also said a little prayer for my Grandmother Nancy up in Heaven. Already my day has been off to a great start! I also like the idea of themed goals. Maybe one morning the theme could be "feel like a rock star" and wear all black with some funky eye makeup. Maybe one morning it's "Feel like a goddess" and you could wear a pretty outfit to work. Or quite simply, "Survive the day" and wear some comfy clothes. I think it makes your mornings a little more exciting :). 

*For exercise, take a walk. 

This is the time of year to start a workout routine before you are bombarded with social commitments and lots of holiday food. Don't have time or money to go to the gym? Go take a walk! The weather is starting to cool off  and you can connect with your neighborhood. Have kids? Take them with you! Some of my favorite memories have involved taking Julian on a walk with him riding in his red wagon. It's such a great way to bond with your family and burn some calories at the same time.  

*Pick one part of your beauty routine that you'd like to change or spend some TLC on.

I've decided it's time to change my hair routine. Last weekend Birchbox had a great Labor Day weekend coupon. I took advantage of it and purchased the following products all for $45 (included was free shipping and the two products in the front row. I also used $10 worth of credit I had earned for reviewing boxes). I'm going to start shampooing my hair less and using dry shampoo more. 

The reason for this? In Women's Health I read ways that celebrities keep their hair looking so gorgeous, and here are the two ideas I'm going to try out this month: 

Want to join Birchbox? Don't forget my referral code: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/crystalking

*Try out some new fashion that won't break the bank! 

I'm never sure what to wear in September. Here in Texas it's still too hot to wear fall clothes and if you are like me then you are already sick of your summer clothes. One simple fix is to buy a few scarves and wear them with your summer tops. I just love anything with sparkles and I can't wait to mix in some sparkly scarves with my wardrobe. Confession: I don't like fall fashion or clothes. I don't like how constricting they are. I'm a sandals/dresses/tank tops and shorts kinda gal.  

Here's another fashion idea-jazz up your nails! People will be so busy looking at your fabulous nails that they won't even notice what you are wearing. I saw these examples in Women's Health and I can't WAIT to try them out, especially the color combos: 

So, how about you? What are some things you would like to try this September?

My August Favorites

Happy Labor Day weekend and first day of September! This has been a crazy week. I had back to school and all the stress and excitement associated with that, then on Friday my wonderful in-laws took ALL the kids to spend the weekend with them. Justin and I have 3 days to ourselves! Our 3 year anniversary was August 20th so we've been celebrating the past few days. Friday night we hopped around town, slept in on Saturday and lounged around most of the day, and then met two other couples for dinner. This morning Justin went for to his fantasy football draft so I am in the house ALL BY MYSELF. It is such a rare occurrence that I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. Read? Clean? Watch TV? Work? Workout? So much to do, so little time.

The end of summer is upon us so I thought I'd share some of my favorite things from Summer 2014.

Makeup and Beauty
I splurged and purchased the "Modern Mermaid" box from Birchbox. I had a promo for 20% off and they were offering free shipping so I was able to get this and a mystery sample pack of products for  $35. I gave the nail polish and lip balm as gifts and kept the rest for myself. I absolutely love the blue eyeliner and the sea salt spray for adding texture to your hair. I've had several compliments on the blue liner already. I keep the perfume in my purse and use it throughout the day at school-its a nice scent and one I wouldn't have picked out myself. I don't have much use for the waterproof "mascara" so I'll hold onto that for next summer.

If you haven't signed up for Birchbox and decide to check it out, don't forget my referral code https://www.birchbox.com/invite/crystalking

Sports

I know I mentioned the World Cup in a previous post, but how can I not mention it again? It was so fun to watch the USMNT's run at glory. I spent a whole month living and breathing FIFA soccer. I loved going to bars around the area to watch the games. I can't believe I have to wait another 4 years for the next World Cup. 

Music
For my birthday Justin bought me tickets to ACL this October. I'm so excited!!! I've been listening to all the artists that will be headlining and I stumbled across Phantogram. I had heard one of their songs on 91.7 KXT and wasn't too crazy about it but I gave them another chance and much to my surprise I am REALLY digging their music! I love Metric and Phantogram reminds me of them in a way.  Check out my favorite song by them:
Phantogram Black Out Days
I also heard the next band on Sirius Alt Nation and I've been listening to their songs on repeat:
Fenech-Soler Last Forever

Books
I didn't get to read as many books this summer as I would have liked, but my fall list is pretty extensive. It has a bunch of scripts on it (I'm a theatre teacher) as well as Stephen King. I've never read any of his books and looking forward to it! There is one book that I really enjoyed that I didn't think I would like so much-"If I Stay" by Gayle Forman. Every other page seemed to have me in tears. The main character is in a horrible car crash with her mom, dad, and bother, and she has to decide if she wants to stay here on earth or move on. When I was reading the reviews I unfortunately found out the ending, but I still enjoyed the book.

What are your favorite things from Summer 2014? Any special memories?

Power Up Challenge

If you are my friend on Instagram or Twitter you've been bombarded the past 24 hours of pictures from me. I signed up and received my first Birchbox a few days ago and included was a packet full of 12 mini "challenges." In my previous post I discussed tasks and wanting to check items off a list, so needless to say I was only too happy to participate. Even more motivating was the opportunity to win a contest, but the only catch was I had to do it in a 48 hour time span because the contest ends tonight at midnight. Here were the challenges and what I did for each task. If you want to read more specifics about each challenge, visit https://www.birchbox.com/magazine/article/power-up-challenge

If you want to see the pictures that I posted, check out my Twitter page: https://twitter.com/crystalmdking

Challenge 1: Write it down
A few of my close friends use the app MyFitnessPal. I joined about a month ago and have been logging my workouts and calorie intake. It really does make a difference when you can see what you are consuming and burning off.

Challenge 2: Part your hair differently 
For as long as I can remember I've parted my hair on the same side. I parted it a different way and this sounds silly but it kinda threw me off for a little bit! It's funny how the smallest changes can make a big difference.

Challenge 3: Eat veggies for breakfast
I bought some tasty spinach and quinoa cakes at Costco and paired them with some veggie bacon. Delicious meal! You could even put some eggs over medium on top. I need to get better about putting spinach in my morning smoothies.

Challenge 4: Get out of your color comfort zone 
I wore purple lipstick to the courthouse this morning. Definitely out of my comfort zone, but it was fun to try out.

Challenge 5: Sit smarter 
My trainer has been working on some back exercises with me. A lot of people slouch because they don't have the back muscle support! I've become cognizant of sitting up now every time I am seated.

Challenge 6: Skip the mirror 
I don't spend too much time looking in the mirror to begin with so this really isn't a "challenge." Only if you are putting on makeup, I guess! I skipped putting on my makeup in the mirror this morning and just went for the purple lips. I'm sure that was all I needed anyways!

Challenge 7: Up your sleep quality 
This is an area where I know I need a lot more work on. Go to bed 5 minutes earlier than the night before, and turn off that technology! I've been getting really bad about playing around on my iPad instead of reading a good book this summer. I'm looking forward to continuing with this challenge.

Challenge 8: Log 10 minutes of outdoor time (daily) 
Not really a good time of year to be doing this but I did it anyway. Julian loves being outdoors so this is a good way to bond with him as well. There are days during the school year when the only time I am outside is walking to or from my car. Fall is my favorite time of year for weather so I can't wait to do more outdoor activities.

Challenge 9: Go on a blue streak 
I wore some blue eyeliner! And actually liked it! That was seriously my first time to do that. It makes my green hazels eyes pop out more than just my black eyeliner.

Challenge 10: Sneak cardio into your day 
I've been going to the gym pretty much every day this summer so it wasn't too difficult to "sneak" some cardio in. Really, going to the gym is the only alone time I get to have in a day so I try to make the most out of my time.

Challenge 11: Take a cold shower 
Yuck, not a fan of this one. It's supposed to energize you and all that, but I prefer my showers to be scalding. Even after going to the gym I prefer a nice hot shower. This was my least favorite challenge and not one that I'll do again.

Challenge 12: Perfect your push up
I've been working on push ups and planks at the gym. Add in the stability ball...not fun but funny to watch, but I've been getting better each time working with the trainer!

If you try any of these challenges out yourself (or all of them!) let me know. It's fun and takes no time at all.

If you check out Birchbox and think it's something you would like to try, I would appreciate it if you use my referral code. But don't worry, I'm not going to beg you for referrals ;-) https://www.birchbox.com/invite/crystalking